Clamp



G. C. COWLESL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1921.

1,404,275. Pat ented Jan. 24,1922;

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. COW-LES, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 GERMAIN BROTHERS COMPANY, OF SAGINAVJ, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CLADIP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan 24 1922 Application filed May 6. 1321. Serial No. 467,449.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. Cownns, a citizen of the United States. residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such .as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to clamps and pertains more particularly to furniture clamps and the like.

The objects of my invention are to provide a factory clamp adapted to a wide range of uses and capable of being quickly secured to and released from the work.

- Another object of myinvention is to provide a clamp made of a few simple parts requiring a minimum of machine work, the parts being so arranged that the capacity of the clamp can be readily increased or decreased by simply substituting for one common machine bolt. another bolt of a different length.

Another object is to provide a clamp, the two shoes or working jaws of which need not be pa-rallel' with each other when in use, but can be swung at an angle with respect to each other, in .order. to accommodate work that cannot be properly held by a clamp having jaws in fixed parallel relation with eachother.

A still further object of my invention is to provide in combinationwith the screw clampa wedge: that can be quickly driven into the final -clamping position by means of ahammer or a maul, so that it is only necessary to -run the screw adjustment of work.

It e ue tly barre hem; of Q- clamps that the back of the clamp becomes sprung and the jaws open at an angle, so that when a pile of work. as for example. number of boards, are to be clamped, the pressure of the clamp sometimes causes the boards to be forced out, on account ofthe springing of the clamp faces.

My present invention, by providing long shanks on the working jaws, obviates this difiiculty, for the shanks take against the back edges of the work and prevent the aws from springing out of their parallel relationship.

lVith the foregoing and certain other objects in view, which will appear later in the specification, my invention comprises the devices described and claimed and the equivalents thereof. I

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the clamp in use.

Fig- 2 is a rear view of the clamp shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 4: is a view of the bolt.

upper clamping shoe 3. The lower clamping shoe is removably secured to the head end of an ordinary machine bolt 4 and the upper clamping shoe 3 is slidingly received on the threaded end of the bolt. the lower beveled face of the upper slioe3is a transversely'slidable wedge 5, the lower face of which'is parallel with the face of the lower clamping shoe 2 and the upper face is beveled. to register with the beveled lower face of shoe 3.

6 is a. wing nut or equivalent device threaded on the bolt 4 and taking against the upper end ofthe slidable shoe 3.

' The lower clamping shoe 2 is formed w th an integral upwardly projecting shank 7 having a longitudinal bore 8 to receive the bolt'l. The shank 7 is adapted to take against Wo k. a h w; in Fig- 9 he? wh Beneath V clamped thetendency for theworking'face of shoe 2 to spring or open will be reduced. The shoe 3 is preferably formed with an integral downwardly extending shank 9- I be driven transversely with respect to bolt 4, as indicated in Fig. 1. r

The forward end of wedge 5 is preferably formed with an upwardly extending lug l3,

7 which enables the wedge to be driven back to release the "work, "without liability of striking the work with the driving hammer ormaul. j

The lower part of shank 9 is preferably formed with" lateral integral projections 14:,

which can be bent outwardly, as indicated in Figs. land 6, after wedge 5 has been assembled on the shank'9, -thereby preventing the two members from becoming separated.

The lower clamping shoe 2 may preferably be formedwith downwardly projecting ribs 15 spaced apart to receive the head of bolt 45' between them, and upon the lower parts of these ribs 15 I prefer to'provide lugs 16, whichmay' be integral with the ribs 15 and may be bent inwardly, as shown on the left-hand rib 'of'Fig. 2, after the bolt; has been assembled on-the clamping shoe 2.

' One or more of these'projections may be provided, as shown in Fig. 2 and'both of them-may be bent to hold the bolt in place,

but I prefer to provide two pi'ojection'sand to bendonly one ofthem, so that if the bolt 4 is changed for a longer, or shorter bolt, t-he'oth'er projection may be employed to hold the'bolt'jinplace, providing'the 'firstused projection has been broken.

' 'By the means above described, I have pro duceda simple and effective clamping device that is especially adapted for rapid assembling and clamping of work in factory productionJtAny one of the parts may be easily replaced'without discarding the ent1re' ;clam p, 'andsince all of the parts are of standard construction, consisting mainly of unmachined castings,it is obvious that the iepair parts' can be readily obtained at a minimum of expense. Whenthe-clamp is used for rapid produc- M eiea 'work inQfactories, repeatedly clamping parts of approximately the same thickness,

fit' i s sufficient to set the nut'6 in the desired position, and thereafter the clamping and "thumpin -maybe done by the wedge 5 without disturbing the adjustment of the "'"'Having' thus describedf'my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a clamp, the combination of a threaded bolt, a lower clamping shoe seeured to the head of said bolt, an upper clamping shoe slidable on said bolt and formed with a lower beveled face, a wedge loosely received on and transversely slidable with respect to said bolt, said wedge formed with a beveled upper face engaging the beveled lower face of said upper clamping shoe, and a nut on the threaded end of said bolt. i

2 In a clamp, the combination of a threaded bolt, a lower clamping shoe secured to the 7 head of said bolt, an upper clamping shoe loosely received on said bolt and having a beveled lower face, a wedge apertured to loosely receive said bolt, the upper face of said wedge registering with the lower face of said upper clamping'shoe, a nut on said 7 bolt engaging said upper clamping shoe, said lower clamping shoe formed on its'lower side with ribs spaced apart to receive the head of said bolt between them,,and lugs carried by said ribs and adapted'to be bent inwardly to form a retainer for the head of said bolt. i 7

3. In a clam of the class described','in combination, a lower clamping shoe, an up wa'rdly projecting'shank'on said shoefsaid shank formed with a longitudinal bore to re= ceive the bolt'ofsaid "clamp, projecting ribs on'the lower part of said clam and boltretaining bugs on said ribs. 45 In a" clamp, the combination of a threaded bolt,a lower clamping shoe secured to the head end of said bolt, a wedge loosely received on said'bolt, said image formed withan elongatedapertur'e and a beveled upper face, an upper elam'p'ing'shoe having an elongated'square shank formed with a longitudinal bore looselyreceiving said bolt, the lower face of said shoe beveled, and lat 7 eral projectionson'said shank'operatin'g as a retainer for said vwedge, and a nut on the threaded endiof said bolt. j

5. In a clamp ofthe class described,the combination ofa'n upper clamping shoehav ing a forwardlyexten'ding projection and a beveled lowerface, a square shankformed with 'a"longitudinal bore, and a malleable projection on said shank, for the purposes set forth.

6. In a clamp, the cOm'bination of a threaded bolt, a lower clamping shoe *secured to the head o'f'jsaid bolt, an upper clamping shoe having a beveled lower face and. a "square shank formed with a longitudinalbore to receive said bolt, anapertured wedge" loosely received and transversely slidable on saidshanl nqand afnu't on the threaded end of said bolt.

j 7. In a clamp, the combination, of a threaded bolt, a lower clamping shoe releasably secured to the head of said bolt, an upper clamping shoe having a beveled lower face and a square shank formed with a 1ongitudinal bore to receive said bolt, a malleable Wedge-retaining projection on said shank, an apertured wedge loosely received and transversely slidable on said shank, an

upwardly projecting lug on the end of said Wedge, and a nut on the threaded end of said bolt.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

GEORGE C. COWLES. 

